The Historical Archives: European Union history and European Parliament history

Written by Isabel Saavedra

As official record keeper of the European Parliament, the Historical Archives hold a wealth of historical documents spanning from the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community Assembly in 1952, to the present. These documents include official EP texts (adopted reports and resolutions, parliamentary questions, and debates), and also the private political papers of Members, as well as a selection of books and journals collected since 1945. All these documents give an insight into the political activity of the Parliament from its beginnings and are a key source of information on the history of European integration.

The Historical Archives team uses these valuable sources as the basis for two series of publications on the historical aspects of EU integration and the institutional development of the European Parliament:

European Union History series

This series focuses on specific aspects of the creation and development of the European institutions, analysing their capacity to adapt and evolve, and examining developments in interinstitutional relations within the EU.

Publications in this series range from short briefings to in-depth studies. They are sometimes prepared in advance of a particular event, as was the case with the briefing on the relations between the Holy See and the EU institutions, written in preparation for Pope Francis’ visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, in November 2014; or the briefing on the development of the Parliament’s role in the appointment of EU Commissioners, which was published in the context of the nomination of the new European Commission in September 2014. Alternatively, they may be part of a wider and more detailed analysis, such as the studies on the history of the EU’s budgetary powers, the first of which was published in March 2015.

Titles in the European Union History series so far:

• Appointment of the Commission: Parliament’s role before 1995 (Briefing)
• Relations between the Holy See and the European institutions: An open dialogue (Briefing)
• A history of budgetary powers and politics in the EU: The Role of the European Parliament. Part I: European Coal and Steel Community (Study)

European Parliament History series

This series analyses the European Parliament’s contribution to the history of modern Europe and the process of European integration. It traces the Parliament’s stance during periods which were particularly crucial to European and world history, through its discussions, debates and positions.

Publications in this series range from concise briefings to longer in-depth studies, and are based on thorough research and on a careful analysis of official historic European Parliament documents kept, and made available to the public, by the Historical Archives.

Titles in the European Parliament History series so far:

• The Echelon Affair: The European Parliament and the global interception system 1998-2002 (Study)
• Democratic Change in Central and Eastern Europe 1989-90: The European Parliament and the end of the Cold War (Study)

All publications in these series can be found on the European Parliament’s Think Tank website, as well as on this Blog, and on the Historical Archives website, and to Members and European Parliament staff, on the EPRS Intranet.